Refrigerating apparatus



s. E. BICKLE I 1,833,929

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 11. 1928 gn uentoz 92;. .5 I WM,

Patented Dec. 1, 1931 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAMUEL E. BICKLE, OFGLOUCESTER, NEW JESEY, ASSIGNOR TO FRIGIDAIRE CORPORA- TION, OF DAYTON,

OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE BEFRIGERATING APPARATUS Applicationfiled February 11, 1928. Serial No. 253,767.

This invention relates to cooling units for refrigerators.

An object of this invention is to provide a cooling unit of pressedmetal construction. Another object of this invention is toprovide apressed metal member adapted to be assembled with similar members toform a cooling unit.

Another object is to provide a sectional cooling unit for refrigeratorsadapted to be dipped in molten solder to seal the joints thereof.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will beapparent'from the following description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of embodiment of thepresent invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is an end adapted to be assembled in Fig. 2 is across sectional lines .2'2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view 33ofFig.1;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view along the lines H of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross sectional view of a cooling unit embodying myinvention.

Referrin to the drawings, a-cooling unit, generally esignated as andembodying my invention, may be made of several members generallydesignated as 21. These members 21 may be unidirectionally nestedtogether and because of their general cupped nature they formrefrigerant passages, as will hereafter more fully appear. These members21 may be exactly alike, be of a generally similar nature, bein slmilaronly to the necessary extent of tting with each other. These members 21may be made of pressed sheet metal, and may be termed cupped inso-farthat theyhaveside walls, such as 22 and 23 and bottom walls 24 and 25.Walls 22 to 25 inclusive when unassembled form an open channel for thereception of refrigerant, this channel being designatedat 26 and 27. Thewall 25 may be provided with a large opening 28, and small openings 29surround elevation of a member a cooling unit; view along the alonglines one 01 more passages or they may the large .opening 28. The Wall22 extends entirely around the circumference of the member. One or morewalls 23 extend within the periphery of the member 21 and form 30,adapted to form accessible freezing chambers to receive ice trays. as aunit,-the walls 23 prevent refrigerant from entering the passage 30, andthe walls 22 prevent refrigerant from escaping into the atmosphere. Theopening 28, which is common to all of the cupped members, is adapted toallow the refrigerant to flow from one member 21 to other members 21within the cooling unit 20, and this opening 28 is also adapted toreceive the refrigerant control member 31 and thus form a float chamber.The end cupped member 21' is adapted to receive the supporting plate 32of the refrigerantcontrol member 31. The refrigerant conduits, such asconduits 33 and 34 connect with the interior of the cooling unit 20 thruthe plate 32. The float 35, and all of the other parts of therefrigerant control member, are adapted to fit into openings 28 of oneOr more members 21. Theend member 21' may have additional openings 29formed around the opening 28, for the purpose of receiving fasteningmembers 37 .for securing the plate '31 on the member 21. The othercuphaped members 21 may be provided with the holes 29 if desire or theholes may be omitted. The refrigerant passages in the other end member21 are sealed by a member 40, which may be substantially flat and havethe shape of the bottom walls 24 and 25 o the standard members 21. Thismember 4 thus seals the refrigerant passages of the end member 21". Inorder to seal the seams of the cooling unit, the unit may be dipped inmolten solder or theseams may be individually soldered, or any othermeans of securing a tight fit between the seams may be resorted to. a

.When the cooling unit 20 is in use, the refrigerant enters thru conduit33 in accordance with the control of the float and the evaporatedrefrigerant returns to the refrigcrating machinery thru the conduit 34which has an opening 34' within the cooling unit.

When the members 21 are assembled The top of the liquid refri erant,generally designated as 41, is above t e lower ortion of openings 28 sothat the liquid refrigerant may flow freely from one member 21 toanother. Since there are channels formed within the cupped members 21 bythe walls 22 and 23, the liquid refrigerant may flow in the channels 26and 27' and thus a large refrigerating area is produced. Passages 30 areadapted .to receive the usual ice trays.

While this Cooling unit is adapted to be used with a volatilerefrigerant, it is to be understoodthat this invention may also be usedwith cooling units adapted to use other types of refrigerant, such asbrine, etc. Many features of this invention may be used in cooling unitsembodying indirect refrigeration, such as those using'both the volatileand non-volatile refrigerants in the same system.

-What is claimed is as follows q 1. A cooling unit comprising a seriesof similar cupped members unidirectionally nested together, each of saidmembers being provided with an opening surrounded by a refrigerantretaining wall, said walls being in alignment to forman. accessible icetray compartment, said compartment being surrounded by refrigerant ductswhich are formed entirely by the adjacent similar members including saidrefrigerant retaining walls.

2. A cooling unit comprising a series of similar cupped pressed metalmembers unidircctionally nested together, said members being providedwith an opening surrounded by an integral refrigerant retaining wall,said walls being in alignment to form an accessible ice traycompartment, theadjacent similar members alone cooperating to formrefrigerant ducts surrounding the ice tray compartment.

3. A cooling unit comprising a series of similar cupped membersunidirectional! nested together, said members being provid ed with twoopening surrounded by integral refrigerant retaining walls, said wallsbeing in alignment, each of said members with their Walls cooperatingwith an adjacent member to form a refrigerant channel surrounding one ofsaid openings.

4. A cooling unit comprising a series of similar cupped, pressed metalmembers unidirectionally nested together, said members being providedwith two openings surrounded by inte ral refrigerant retaining walls,said walls icing in alignment, 'each of said members with their wallscooperating solely with an adjacent similar member to form a refrigerantchannel surrounding at least one of said openings.

"In testimony whereof I hereto aiiix my signature.

SAMUEL E. BICKLE.

